Pictures!

Photo montage, anyone?

First beer

"Ahhhhhhh"

Well, the time has come for me to stop using half of the bed for piles of clothes because my husband will be home tomorrow! In anticipation, I have prepared in the following way. Behold the happy fridge.

If all goes as planned, I should be able to lay eyes on Brandon late morning. Pictures will be posted!

From my Valentine.

Flowers
Originally uploaded by Monkey loves Kitten.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's-Day-2006
Originally uploaded by Monkey loves Kitten.

I wish you all a happy Valentine's Day. I am saving my celebration for another week or so. ;)

Oh, the Memphis story!

I know I said I would do this a long time ago - sorry. I'll save the list of excuses for another time. Okay, so I went to Memphis to visit our friends, Vonnie and Wendy, and their two dogs, Jack and Georgia. Wendy recently bought her first house and Jack is a new member of the family I'd not yet met. I had my camera with me the whole time and yet, somehow, I managed to take no pictures of the house or the dogs. Hmmm. Okay then. I guess I'm going to have to start traveling with a shot-list.

Vonnie told me they'd pick me up from the airport Friday night and we'd go right downtown for the surliest service in town courtesy of The Rendezvous. She said the place is famous for it. So, off to dinner we went. We parked in the garage across the alley from the restaurant, made our way down the stairs to the "groud level," and had dinner. We had chicken and slaw and beans and beer, all served to us by the nicest possible waiter. Made a total liar of Vonnie. (She hates that.) After dinner we walked Beale Street until the rain drove us back to the car and out to the suburbs. Saturday involved lounging, Starbucking, buying rocks for a house-warming gift (it's complicated), and a really good dinner out. Sunday we woke up to an active thunderstorm, which pretty much ruled out the options of going to the botanic garden or zoo. We lounged for a while until I convinced Vonnie we should go to Graceland. Wendy was up for up but Vonnie was so against it she'd denied even her own mother a couple months back. How did I finally sway her? Well, I did something I'm not really proud of - oh yes I am, kidding - I played the my-husband-is-at-the-war card. She caved. Thanks Brandon! We headed across town to Elvis Presley Boulevard, showed our AAA cards for our ten percent discount, got our headsets, and boarded the bus for the trek to the other side of the street where we began the tour. The rainy day kept the crowds at bay and only two other people started through at the same time as we. My headset had one ear out so I could hear the other tourists yell to each other, pointing things out. I looked at the staff, none of whom were chuckling. I imagined they go over that in orientation, "People will yell, it will be funny, do not laugh. They all do it." After Graceland we went for another fabulous dinner out then back to the 'burbs. As we drove around I couldn't help but notice the massive churches everywhere. They looked like office buildings or small colleges only differentiated by crosses. There were so many I'll bet the streets are deserted Sunday mornings. We were drinking coffee and reading the paper Sunday morning, so I can't be sure.

Well, that's what happened. Oh, my trip home was fun, many extra hours spent in Atlanta while a storm passed through. I panicked a little at the thought I might not get back to Raleigh in time for my planned Costco run. Thankfully I got back in time to make it not only to Costco, but also Whole Foods. It just felt so - reassuring.

Florida Prairie

Did you catch this weekend's Prairie Home Companion? It was recorded in Miami and Garrison set to butchering the Spanish language at every opportunity. Ay, cabron!

Hounds

Hounds, originally uploaded by Monkey loves Kitten.

Last Saturday my neighbor, Evelyn, and I headed out to the local junior college to help with a doggie adoption event. The event was held by the group who cared for Shane until we met her. The leader, Shari, teaches ceramics and some of my neighborhood ladies know her from that. Sadly the day wasn't very well organized, gladly three dogs found homes despite that. Evelyn only fell down twice and sustained no injuries, which was good. And only one of those times was she knocked down by a three-legged dog. (Second from left in the upper corner.) I fell in love with the blue heeler, he reminded me of Quentin. I also really liked Wheatie who I described to all as "Wheatie the Sweetie." She's the one on her back. She rolled over for everyone, just wanted a belly scratch.

The day also gave me the opportunity to finally fill out adoption papers and give the group some money. Shari misses Shane so much she kept "forgetting" to send me the necessary forms. So, six month hence, it's a done deal.

Only one incident scarred the day for me. The event was at a college on a Saturday. The college has Saturday classes so there were students about. I walked up to a volunteer with a dog talking to a student on his bike. The kid was asking her questions about the dog and I noticed she was responding to him in a very curt manner. I was going to add to the conversation as I got there but the student pedaled off. I looked at the volunteer and she had the most sour expression on her face as she rolled her eyes. I reacted by asking, "Why are you making that face?" She shrugged and looked away. Since she didn't respond, I don't know what her actual thoughts were, but I suspect her behavior was due to this kid being black. Living in the South I really expected to see a lot more of this, Confederate flags do fly, but this was about the most blatant I've seen so far.

Attitudes about race have been on my mind lately. With the celebration of Dr. King's birthday and the passing of Coretta, I think the least any of us can do is spend some time thinking about our own beliefs and how we came to hold them. Were we influenced by our parents? Friends? Media? If we're prone to speak about or make assumptions about groups based on their racial or religious background, what is the basis? Is any good served by this? And, if you feel that because someone looks like you, they share your opinions, like that volunteer did, please think twice. You could be talking to me, and believe me, you have no idea what I'm thinking. Okay, I'm probably thinking about ice cream, but you get the drift.

Oh, and adopt some puppies!